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Chet Holmgren · 24 hours removed from the close to a Year One that validated his all-world potential, Chet Holmgren’s head coach offered the type of ear-perking prediction that could soon become the worst kind of news for the NBA’s elites. Even after staking his claim as one of the league’s most productive centers within the blink of an eye, 2023-24 could ultimately be viewed as the “lowest level” of his greatness. Delayed of his opportunity to immediately contribute due to a 2022-23 injury, the soon-to-be-named All-Rookie First Team selection made up for lost time, quieting any durability concerns by suiting up for the full 82-game season. Profiting from Holmgren’s contributions, the 57-win Thunder took the NBA by storm as its youngest-ever No. 1 seed. Laser-focused, even with his production microscoped and compared to his 7-foot-4 counterpart in the Southwest, Holmgren became NBA history’s first rookie to collect 100 3-pointers and 100 blocks in a season while also finishing at No. 2 in shots defended at the rim (708). By season’s end, Holmgren’s excellence quantified as follows: 16.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game on 53-37-79 percentage splits, supplying the Thunder with one of the NBA’s brightest futures. · State of Mint